Traditional Tai Chi Eight Immortals Cane, Routine Two (Cannon Cane).  Demonstrated by Master Jesse Tsao.  Instructional DVD, 65 minutes.  Produced by Tai Chi Healthways, San Diego, 2008.  Routine Two, Cannon Cane, is based on the Chen Style of Taijiquan.  Master Tsao developed this cane form himself, with grandmaster Zhu Tiancai's support.  "This is the answer for people looking for the martial arts aspect of Tai Chi.  You will surely love the way Master Jessee Tsao presents to you this unique auncient practice.  A short stick, umbrella, or any everyday object of the proper length  can be used as a substitute for a cane.  Like the Chen Style Tai Chi Cannon Fist, this routine is full of powerful moves and explosive strikes.  Detailed instruction is provided in English, with front and back views. It is a good reference for home study, or a resource for instructor's teaching preparation.  Suggest 30 class hours. (Difficulty: Intermediate through Advanced Levels). DVD-R, (62 minutes).  There is a streaming version available through Amazon." VSCL

Mastering Tai Chi Cane for Health and Self-Defense. By Jesse Tsao, Ph.D., Tai Chi Healthways, 2022, 225 pages, $27.00.
"The cane has been used as a self-defense weapon for centuries. But it is more than just a weapon or a walking aid—it is a useful tool to practice the ancient Chinese art of tai chi and gain all the benefits of relaxation, health, and wellness for students of any age or fitness level. For the very first time, Master Jesse Tsao brings his fifty years of tai chi practice and training, combined with his PhD in Traditional Chinese Martial Arts Education, to this comprehensive guide to mastering the tai chi cane with routines he has created.
Rooted in the Taoist Eight Immortals legends, this book takes you through the steps of tai chi cane stretch and self-massage to increase flexibility, loosen tight muscles, and prepare the body for daily activities as well as stimulating energy points to open the body’s blockages and flush out stagnation and toxins to promote self-healing. Routine I blends the softer flow and circular movements of the popular Yang-style tai chi for stress management and personal fitness. And for students looking for training in cane self-defense, Routine II is based on the fast and vigorous practice of traditional Chen-style Cannon Fist that mixes robust leaps with explosive strikes—ideal for diehard martial artists.
With more than 300 photographs and illustrations, Mastering Tai Chi Cane for Health & Self-Defense provides clear, step-by-step instructions for each posture followed by key points for mastery, making it a perfect manual for beginners while the in-depth content will be invaluable to martial artists and tai chi instructors." VSCL.

Chen Taijiquan, Old Frame, First Form, Lao Jia Yi Lu. By Michael P. Garofalo.

Traditional Tai Chi Eight Immortals Cane, Routine One.  Demonstrated by Master Jesse Tsao.  Instructional DVD, 64 minutes.  Produced by Tai Chi Healthways, San Diego, 2008.  Routine One is based on the Yang Style of Taijiquan.  Master Tsao developed this cane form himself, with grandmaster Zhu Tiancai's support.  "Traditional Tai Chi Eight Immortals Cane is a very special Tai Chi routine.  A walking cane is an everyday, common object, but is also a handy weapon in self defense!  This routine is based on the characteristics of Tai Chi postures with the traditional Taoist "eight immortals" cane/stick martial function.  It is fun for any age level to learn.  Grandmaster Zhu Tiancai created the Chinese brush writing calligraphy for this routine.  Detailed instruction by Master Jesse Tsao is in English with front and back view demos, as well as martial arts applications.  It is a good reference for home study, or a resource for instructor's teaching preparation.  Suggest 30 class hours. (Difficulty: Beginner through Advanced Level). DVD, (64 minutes).  There is a streaming version available through Amazon."  36 Movements. VSCL.

Traditional Eight Immortals Taijiquan Cane, Routine One, List of Movements, notes, bibliography, PDF Format, 3 pages.  Based on the Yang Style of Taijiquan.  As taught by Master Jesse Tsao.  This series of documents was prepared by Michael Garofalo, M.S., in 2008, for students studying the Traditional Eight Immortals Tai Chi Cane at the Valley Spirit Taijiquan Center, in Red Bluff, California.  

Master Jesse Tsao offers many good instructional DVDs teaching movement routines using a cane, ruler, stick or flute. They are good warm up and Qigong inspired routines.  Go to his extensive website at Tai Chi Healthways to select and order.

Cane Class 2008, Red Bluff, California. Routine 1.

Tai Chi Chuan Cane, Walking Stick, and Short Staff

Cannon Cane, Eight Immortals Cane Routine, Part 2. By Michael P. Garofalo.

 

Cannon Cane: List of Movements (Postures, Forms)

 

Cannon Cane - List of 36 Movements, 1 Page, PDF File

 

1. Opening Form
2. Lazily Tying Coat
3. Six-Seal and Four-Close
4. Single Whip
5. Striking Left and Right
6. Wrapping Head with Cane
7. Uppercuts Left and Right
8. Grand Eagle Spreads Wings
9. Embracing the Moon
10. Cat Catches Rat
11. Golden Rooster Standing on One Foot
12. Whipping Sleeves and Slamming Cane
13. Overturn the Ocean
14. Dragon's Tail Stirring Water
15. Pinwheel Cane
16. Fair Lady Works at Shuttles
17. Batting a Home Run
18. Ruthless Lord Holds Up Flag
19. Strike Low and Strike High
20. Dragon Descends into the Ocean
21. Dragon Emerges from the Water
22. Parry Left and Right
23. Turn-Around Strike
24. Dragon Swings Tail
25. Head Smashing Cane
26. Lock Front Door
27. Black Bear Turns Around
28. Lock Back Door
29. Heart Thrusting Cane
30. Waist Blocking Cane
31. Crotch Striking Cane
32. Head Striking Cane
33. Dragon's Head Up
34. Dragon Coiling Around Pillar
35. Wind Devil Cane
36. Closing Form

 

Other Fast and Vigorous Taijiquan Cane Routines

The Shaolin Cane: The Wooden Weapon of Kung Fu.  Instruction by Ted Mancuso.  Instructional DVD, 60 minutes.  Plum Publications, Santa Cruz, California, © 2005.  "In this presentation by Ted Mancuso, he utilizes a traditional Shaolin cane set taught to him by one of his teachers, Lam Kwong Wing, to explore the very nature of weapons work. Introductory remarks bring new points to light about the usefulness of weapons work especially, with simple, easily available instruments. Among the topics covered, Mr. Mancuso discusses and demonstrates:  Basic strikes and their applicability to all weapons.  Grips and the "flexible hand" concept.  The traditional Northern Shaolin Boxing Cane form.  In-depth stepwise breakdowns of each section of this fast and mobile form.  Examples of applications, including running commentary explaining more than just the movements but the reasoning behind cane defenses.  According to this teacher, "Over the years students have come to me and say, - I'd like to learn the cane from you. When I ask why they always say something like, - For my father. He's getting old. At that point I have to explain to them that this is one of the most dynamic weapons sets in the entire Shaolin arsenal. After all, if you think about it handing a simple stick to a Kung Fu artists who can do sword, spear, whip and dagger is just like saying "anything goes." This is definitely not your grandfather's cane form."  In this instructional DVD, the lineage of this particular Shaolin Cane form is given as:  Ted Mancuso was taught by Lam Kwong Wing,  who was taught by Yim Shang Mo, who was taught by Gu Ru Shang,  who was taught by Yan Gi Wen, who was taught by Yan Di Gong, who was taught by Wang Bang Cai, who was taught by Gan Feng Chi, who was taught by Monk Zhao Yuan He Shang.  Read the short essay by Ted Mancuso on The Shaolin Cane. VSCL. 

 

Tai Chi Chuan Cane, Walking Stick, and Short Staff By Michael P. Garofalo.

 

Thunderstick Cane form of Master Chen Pan Ling as taught by James Sumarac.  DVD. Lots of examples of applications of the form. However,
no detailed posture by posture demonstration and discussion. Some extra Qigong exercises.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Introduction     Cane     Taijiquan Cane     Tai Chi Walking Stick     Bagua Cane     Shaolin Cane     Wudang Cane

Bo, Long Staff, Spear     Aikido Jo     Karate Jo     Short Staff     Taiji Stick, Bang, Chih

Hsing Yi Cane     Qigong Ruler     Eight Immortals Taiji Cane     Cane Weapon Techniques and Drills    

Cloud Hands Blog   

Green Way Research Hypertext Notebooks     Cloud Hands Tai Chi Chuan     Valley Spirit Qigong       

Taoism     Senses     Well-Being     Somatics     Virtue     

 

    

 

 

Notes, Commentary, Practice Ideas

 

I prepared fairly comprehensive and popular webpage on fitness exercises and self-defense practices using long staff weapons in 2003.  I prepared a webpage on short staff weapons in 2007.  Both webpages included an extensive bibliography, webpage links, UTube links, quotations, lore, information, history, sources for weapons, notes, and lists of Forms (katas, shi) for staff weapons practice.  The short staff weapons webpage, called the Way of the Short Staff, included information on Taiji cane practices.  This webpage, started in 2014, will focus entirely on cane or walking stick arts, practices, history, and forms. 

Tai Chi Chuan cane forms are typically performed slowly and deliberately.  Most Taijiquan forms hold the cane with one hand.  Hard and powerful strikes are seldom used in T'ai Chi Ch'uan walking stick forms.  The pace of the Taijiquan cane forms are seldom fast and vigorous.  There are few if any vigorous leaps and jumps.  Taiji forms seldom use very low stances.  Taiji cane forms are particularly suitable for fit persons over 50 years of age.  Good examples of a Taiji Cane Form are: the Standard Beijing 24 Form with Cane created by Master Wen-Ching Wu; the Eight Immortals Cane Form, Part I, created by Master Jesse Tsao;  the Plum Blossom Taiji Cane Form; the Tai Chi Stick 18 Form;  the Bodhi Dharma Walking Stick Form; Master Michael Gilman's Three Powers Cane Form; the Wu Tang Cane Form of Master T.T. Liang; Beifang Qi Taiji Zhang by James Bouchard; etc. 

There are also many examples of more vigorous "Taiji" cane forms, with hard strikes, leaps, fast moves, spins, and low moves.  Taijiquan single-edged boradsword/saber forms are readily adapted for use with a cane, and some are fast and vigorous.  For example, the Chen Taijiquan 23 Broadsword Form is a good moderately paced cane exercise routine.  Normally, Taijiquan double-edged sword forms are not very well adapted as cane forms.  Karate, Jodo, Kung Fu, Shaolin, Bagua, Wudang, and HsingI cane or stick forms are often fast, vigorous, powerful, twisting, agile, and with some very low stances.  Typically, "hard style" drills and forms require that you hold the cane or jo with two hands.  Serious self-defense situations necessitate holding the cane, walking stick, or jo with two hands to prevent the aggressor from grabbing your cane.  Of course, when first learning any new cane form, begin with a slower, more deliberate, less vigorous practice to help the body adapt to the moves of the new form.  Thus, even a fast and vigorous cane form from any style can be done more in the "Taiji" fashion outlined and shown above. 

Many Qigong (Chi Kung) forms can also we done while holding a cane.  Adaptations for stretching and exercises using a cane or short stick are quite easily arranged.  Many Qigong forms have been created for use with a short 8"-12" wooden stick called a Tai Chi Ruler or Bang. 

I consider a cane or walking stick to be, normally, a straight strong wooden stick with a curved (hook) handle that is from 30" (76 cm) to 42" (107 cm) long.  The cane will typically extend from the floor to the height of your hip socket and maybe up to your belly button.  The cane might also be made out of plastic, aluminum, steel, or rattan.  The cane might have a straight rather than curved or hooked end with a round ball shaped (pommel) end or some sort of straight or carved handle at the end.  The cane might be very simple, natural and plain; or be carved, painted or decorated. 

Each day I use an 'Instructor's Walking Cane,' 40" (103 cm) long and 1" (2.54 cm) in diameter, purchased from Cane Masters.  This cane weights 1lb, 2 oz (510 gm).  This beautiful martial arts combat cane is made of pure hickory heartwood, has multiple notches at three key gripping points, has a ample rounded hooked horn, and has a rubber covered tip inserted over the tip end.  This cane is perfect for using on my long walks and for my Taiji cane practices.  The only weapon I practice with on a daily basis is a wooden cane; and the only weapon I teach now in my Taijiquan classes (2007-2017) is the cane.  Also, whenever I take a walk, anywhere, I bring my cane along for support, exercising the arms, martial drills, and for self-defense.     

In 2023, I will be practicing the Eight Immortals Tai Chi Cane Form, Part II, in the Chen Style of TaijiquanI, as created and taught by Master Jesse Tsao, PhD.  I also do drills with my hickory cane based on cane exercise routines derived from Octavio Ramos Jr., Mark Shuey Sr., Sammy Franco, Ted Mancuso, and Dan Djurdjevic. 

I welcome suggestions, comments and information from readers about good resources, links, books, pamphlets, videos, DVDs, VCDs, schools, workshops, events, techniques, forms, etc..  Please send your email to Mike Garofalo.  

Best wishes to everyone for a safe life during the 2019-2023 COVID-19 flu pandemic.  May our daily exercises with a cane keep us fit, and boost our immune systems. May our financial losses be manageable. Please get your COVID vaccines in a timely manner!

Michael P. Garofalo
January 2023
Vancouver, Washington

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taijiquan Cannon Cane Routine